Spray valve



L. T. WARD SPRAY VALVE Oct. 14, 1958 Original Filed Aug. 16, 1954 v INVENTOR. Law/mac TVVa/"d iw mm ATFDENEY United States Patent SPRAY VALVE Lawrence T. Ward, Portland, Pa.

Original application August 16, 1954, Serial No. 449,891, now Patent: No. 2,812,884, dated November 12, 1957. grgxrgigrll and this application April 2, 1957, Serial N0.

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to spray valves for aerosol bombs and adapted to be secured to said bombs and is a division of Serial Number 449,891, filed August 16, 1954, now Patent No. 2,812,884, issued November 12, 1957.

It is an object of this invention to provide a metered aerosol spray valve having no or a minimum number of metal valve parts engaging the propellant liquid to be sprayed.

it is another object to provide a corrosion resistant spray valve which dispenses a measured or definite quantity of uncontaminated spray liquid with each operation of the valve.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following descriptive disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of one modification of the valve,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of another modification of the valve, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of part of the valve elements of Fig. 2 showing a modified structure for sealing off a valve part from communication with fluid in an adjacent dip-tube.

Turning to the drawing and to Fig. 1, a tubular valve housing 14 made of metal, for example, stainless steel is provided with screw threads 13 for securing to mating mouth screw threads in a gas tight manner of a conventional aerosol bomb having a suitable mouth therein.

The housing 14 (Fig. 1) is substantially cylindrical in configuration and has a top centrally operated top wall 1? having a top flat surface 44. The tubular passage of the valve housing 14 consists of three interconnected boreholes of increasing diameter ranging from top to bottom (Fig. l). The first or top most borehole is located in the valve top wall 19 and is the central aperture thereof. In this aperture the plunger 15 is slidingly and non-tiltingly disposed.

The second borehole of the tubular passage of the housing 14 is of larger diameter and receives a rubber or plastic rectangular sealer ring 30X which ring sealingly seizes the plunger 15 in a gas tight manner at all times and which also acts as a valve seat for the bottom transverse shoulder 18 (Fig. 2) of plunger 15.

The second borehole is also of a diameter to snugly receive the dip tube 27 against the borehole side walls, the dip tube being press fitted into the second borehole and against the sealer ring 30X.

T he tubular passage next merges into the third or lowermost borehole of the valve housing 14, the inner wall 37 of which borehole constitutes the outer wall of the metered reservoir or chamber of the spray valve.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom section or skirt 20 of the valve housing 14 is pinched or constricted inwardly thereby seizing and constricting the dip tube 27 to form a throat 21 of constricted diameter and thereby also sealing said housing to the dip tube in a gas tight manner and forming the bottom of the metered chamber.

The plunger 15 is an integral structure having a top borehole 16 communicating adjacent the borehole base with a lateral port 17. The plunger is provided with a bottom section of suitably larger diameter forming thereby a circular horizontal shoulder 18.. The base of the plunger 15 is provided with a bulbous nose 36 which engages circumferentially the walls of the dip tube throat 22 in a gas tight manner.

The dip tube (Fig. 1) is provided with a lateral opening 38 disposed in suitable spaced relationship above the throat 22 and leading into the reservoir or metered chamber formed by the housing interior wall 37 and the exterior surface of the dip tube 27 opposed in spaced relationship thereto. It is evident therefore that the metered chamber has but one opening, namely the opening 38 which functions both as an inlet opening and as an outlet opening. It is also evident that because the bottom of plunger 15 is provided with a bulbous nose 36, there is a space between the interior surface of the dip tube 27 and the exterior bottom plunger surface above the nose 36.

The plunger 15 is continuously urged upward by a spring 45 so that the plunger shoulder 18 normally engages the sealing ring 30X in a valve seating gas-tight manner when the valve is in closed or non-operative position as shown in Fig. 1. In this nonoperative position of the plunger, the liquid contents in the dip tube 27 pass into the reservoir or metered chamber through valve opening 38.v

A conventional finger plate 34 is secured to the top of the plunger, which top protrudes a suitable distance above the housing top surface 44, by means of a lock washer 46 disposed in a suitable groove in the plunger and press fitted in a suitable borehole of the finger plate 34. A rubber sealing washer or ring 47 is disposed around the plunger 15 and intermediate the finger plate 34 and the metal washer 46, thereby preventing escape of spray liquid down the plunger stem.

As shown in Fig. 1, the spring is preferably a coil spring and is disposed around the plunger being secured by housing surface 44 and the washer 46. A lateral finger plate borehole 35 of small diameter communicates between the outside atmosphere and the borehole 16 of the plunger 15 and directs the spray as needed.

To operate the plunger of Fig. 1, the finger plate 34 is pushed inwardly into the housing 14 thereby unseating plunger shoulder 18 from the sealing ring 30X. Next the plunger bulbous nose is pushed into the dip tube throat 22 disengaging communication with the liquid in the dip tube therebelow from the liquid in the valve housing and next but substantially simultaneously the dip tube opening 38 communicates with the space or chamber disposed about the bottom plunger section above the bulbous nose. The plunger 15 after first closing off the dip tube 27 by passage of the nose 36 over opening 38, on continued downward movement causes port 17 to be forced below sealing ring 30X thereby establishing liquid or fluid communication between port 17 and borehole 16 with the reservoir by way of the chambered space disposed about the plunger above nose 36.

The self-propellant liquid, for example, Freon or difluoro-dichloromethane with its dissolved active ingredient, for example, a drug or a perfume is vaporized upon engaging atmospheric pressure and issues as a spray from the finger plate borehole 35.

After the contents of the reservoir have evaporated and been dispensed through borehole 35, the pressure on the plate 34 is released and the spring 45 returns the plunger 15 to its normal position (Fig. 1) thereby establishing again a liquid communication between the dip tube and the aerosol bomb contents thereof with the valve housing reservoir by way of opening 38.

Fig. 2 shows another modification of this invention having the longitudinal bottom plunger element sheathed within a tubular longitudinal rubber or plastic sheath with a metered reservoir or metered chamber disposed between the resilient plastic sheath and the interior wall of the borehole of the valve housing, said tubular plastic sheath having a port valve opening adjacent its base.

In Fig. 2, the tubular plastic sheath is a cylindrical spacer element 39 whereas in the Fig. l modification the plastic sheath is an integral part'of the dip tube 27.

Turning to Fig.2, the tubular sheath 39 is provided with an integral circular top flange 23 and also with an integral circular bottom flange 24, said flanges 23 and extending horizontally beyond the cylindrical vertical sheath Wall 25 a suitable distance to form a reservoir or chamber between the sheath 39 and the borehole wall of the valve housing 14X.

In the modification of Fig. 2, the sheath 3? is inserted into the borehole of the valve housing 14X around the plunger 15 bottom with its bulbous nose 36. The bottom tapered rim 41 is then turned inwardly toward the housing borehole axis and against the bottom wall 26 of the sheath 39.

Thus sheath 39 is captively held within the metal housing 1 1x against any movement.

As shown in Fig. 2, the sheath 39 is provided with a central borehole of a larger diameter than the diameter of the aperture disposed centrally in the top wall of the sheath 3?, through which top wall aperture plunger passes in a sealing relationship at all times, even during movement of plunger 15 in said aperture. As seen from Fig. 2, a circular wall 43 is provided about the interior of the top wall aperture and functions as a valve seat for shoulder 18 when the plunger is disposed in its nonoperative or normal position. In other words, the resilient sheath 39 embraces integrally the sealing rim 33X of Fig. 1 and necessarily the operational function of said ring 3ilX, since the plunger 15 is identical in the modifications of Figs. 1 and 2.

The dip tube 27 is of a diameter to be press fitted into the central borehole of the sheath 39 to a point below port 4-1) of the sheath.

Port opening 40 of sheath 39 functions in an identical manner to port opening 38 of the illustrative embodiment of Fig. 1.

Turning now to Fig 3, there is shown a modified plunger bottom 15X wherein the sealing effect of the bulbous nose 36 is substituted by a sealing ring 48 disposed in a suitable co-acting groove 23 located circumferentially adjacent the base or bottom horizontal wall 29 of the plunger 15X.

The ring 28 effects a moveable gas tight seal between the plunger 15X and the interior wall of the sheath 39. The top of the dip tube (Fig. 3) is also provided with a horizontal surface 30 so that pressing the plunger surface 29 against the dip tube'supplements the sealing off of port opening 40 from the dip tube contents by the ring 28 after the ring 28 passes below said port 40 as shown in Fig. 3. In other words, Fig. 3 shows the plunger 15X in operative position permitting the reservoir content to escape out of the valve housing and simultaneously sealing off communication between the reservoir and the dip tube and therefore the aerosol bomb contents. In short the plunger 15X need not engage dip tube wall 36) (Fig. 3) to effect operation of the spray valve of this invention.

This invention has been in detail and broadly described but it is not to be limited to the illustrations as it is of generic scope.

I claim:

1. A valve dispenser for aerosolcontainers having a screw threaded aperture in the top wall thereof comprising a tubular housing having a top wall having a small' cylindrical top borehole therein, an intermediate cylindrical borehole below said top borehole and communicating therewith, and a bottom cylindrical borehole below said intermediate borehole and communicating therewith;

screw threaded means for securing said housing in said screw threaded aperture of said top wall of said aerosol container in a gas tight manner; a resilient ring having an aperture is disposed in a gas tight manner in said intermediate borehole, the aperture wall being contiguous with the wall of said small borehole; a dip tube having an exterior diameter substantially equal the diameter of said intermediate borehole disposed through said large borehole and in gas tight relationship in said intermediate borehole and against said ring, said tube having an internal diameter suitably larger than the aperture of said ring" forming thereby an inner annular rim of said ring disposed in" said intermediate borehole; depending funnel means integral with said housing seizing in a gas tight manner said dip tube, constricting said dip tube and forming thereby a reservoir chamber between said dip tube and the wall of said large borehole, said dip tube having a lateral opening communicating between said chamber and the interior of said dip tube; a reciprocal plunger having a top tubular portion of small diameter communicating with a borehole therein having a lateral aperture in suitable spaced relationship above its base, said top plunger portion being non-tiltingly extending through the top borehole of the housing top wall and in tight relationship at all times in the aperture of said resilient ring; said plunger having a solid bottom portion of larger diameter than said top portion forming thereby an annular ridge disposed below said ring and adapted to engage said rim of said ring in a valve seat gas tight manner, said bottom portion having an enlarged bulbous nose adapted to pass said lateral opening in said dip tube in a valve operating manner for permitting filling up and emptying of the reservoir chamber; spring means disposed about the tubular plunger portion and upon the top 'wall of said housing and a conventional spray valve button having a lateral spray conduit secured to said toppl'ungerportion above said spring means with the spray conduit in communication with the plunger borehole.

2. A valve dispenser for aerosol containers having a screw threaded aperture in the top wall thereof comprising a tubular housing having a top wall having a small cylindrical top borehole therein, an intermediate cylindrical borehole below said top borehole and communicating therewith, and a bottom cylindrical borehole below said intermediate borehole and communicating therewith; screw threaded means for securing said housing in said screw threaded aperture of said top wall of said aerosol container in a gas tight manner; a resilient ring having an aperture is disposed in a gas tight manner in said intermediate borehole, the aperture wall being continuous with the wall of said small borehole; a dip tube having an exterior diameter substantially equal the diameter of said intermediate borehole disposed through said large borehole and in gas tight relationship in said intermediate borehole and against said-ring, said tube having an internal diameter suitably larger than the aperture of said ring forming thereby an innerannular rim of said ring disposed in said intermediate borehole; depending funnel means integral with said housing seizing in a gas tight manner said dip tube, constricting said dip tube and forming thereby a reservoir chamber between said dip tube and the wall of said large borehole, said clip tube having a lateral opening communicating between said chamber and the'interior of said dip tube; a reciprocal plunger having atop tubular portion of small diameter having a borehole therein communicating with a lateral aperture in suitable spaced relationship above its base, said top plunger portion being non-tiltingly extended through the top borehole of the housing top wall and in gas tight relationship at all times in the aperture of said resilient ring; said plunger having a solid bottom portion having an annular V groove adjacent the plunger bottom wall and a resilient valve ring disposed'in' said annular groove and extending 7 beyond th plunger vertical wall engaging the inner wall of the dip tube in a gas tight relationship, said valve ring passing said lateral opening in said dip tube in a valve operating manner permitting alternate filling and emptying of the reservoir chamber of said valve housing; spring means disposed about the tubular plunger portion and upon the top Wall of said housing and a conventional spray valve button having a conduit communicating with the atmosphere and with the conduit of the plunger secured to said top plunger portion above said spring means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Teller et a1, Feb. 1, 1955 Meshberg Oct. 18, 1955 Carlson et a1 May 8, 1956 St. Germain May 22, 1956 Ward Apr. 16, 1957 

